Valentine's Day
by BEN123
Summary: It's February 14th, Valentine's Day, a day which Turbo hates. He doesn't feel happy or loved. That's how he's been feeling for every single Valentine's Day he has lived through. Luckily, Ted and Teddy help Turbo realize just how important he is to them, and in the end, he discovers he really is loved after all. Sorry for the Valentine's Day story being late. :/ Enjoy!


Valentine's Day

Turbo awoke and stretched with a yawn. He glanced at his calendar and he instantly frowned as he realized that today was February 14th. Valentine's Day.

"Oh, great..." Turbo muttered sarcastically under his breath. He hated Valentines Day. It was a day full of happiness and love. Two emotions that he had never felt in all of his life.

"Happiness!" Turbo spat the word angrily on his lips, "Love!"

As Turbo spat the last word, he could feel his heart painfully ache. He clutched his chest with his hands where his heart was supposed to be and squeezed his eyes shut.

"Why is my heart aching? Why am I in so much pain?" Turbo thought. But deep down, he already knew what the answer was. Turbo's heart was aching and he was in so much pain because he knew that today, he wouldn't get a kiss from anyone, or that he wouldn't receive chocolate from anyone, either. It was Valentine's Day, where everyone was supposed to be exchanging their love with one another. But Turbo wouldn't be; he had no one to love, and most importantly, no one to love him.

"Why would anyone love me, anyway?" Turbo told himself as he got up out of his bed and stood in front of his mirror. A scowl spread across his face as he saw his reflection; his face was a ghostly grayish-white, along with his skin. He had a snub nose, and his eyes gleamed a bright yellow. Just below those cat-like eyes, there were dark, hollow circles. His teeth were also a sickly yellow color. He had an over-sized head, and an unusually small body, with skinny legs to support him. Much to his dismay, he wasn't exactly what you call realistic-looking.

With a sigh, he opened his bedroom door and slowly descended down the stairs. When he finally reached the bottom, he headed into the kitchen, and glanced up to find Ted and Teddy, the twins, fighting over who would get the last of the cereal, which Ted had firmly gripped in his hands.

"Give it back, Ted!" Teddy shouted, trying to reach for the cereal box.

"No, I had it first!" Ted replied, shifting his arm that held the box so that it was out of the other twin's reach.

"No, you didn't!" Teddy retorted.

"Yes, I did!" Ted shot back.

"NO!"

"YES-"

"Would you guys just shut up?!" Turbo growled at them loudly, annoyed, which caused both of their heads to snap in his direction. Heavy silence filled the room.

"Can't you two ever stop acting like children?!" Turbo continued, "You're being ridiculous, fighting over cereal!" Turbo knew that the twins had their regular fights every now and then, but the fights were usually over something completely stupid. This time, it was cereal.

"I guess that's true," Ted murmured, lowering his arm, setting the cereal box onto the table.

"Yeah, you're right," Teddy agreed with him. In the end, Ted decided to place the cereal box back on the shelf, and picked out a different cereal for him and Teddy to share.

"Ohhh, I love that cereal!" Teddy's face lit up instantly as Ted poured the cereal and the milk into two bowls, and sat back down at the table so he could begin eating.

"How'd you know, Ted?" Teddy asked Ted between mouthfuls.

"Teddy, I know everything about you," Ted replied, laughing, before pulling Teddy closer, embracing him.

Turbo knew that Ted and Teddy had already made up, that was what happened after every fight they had. No matter what the odds were, they would always remain the closest of friends, friends that no matter what happened, they would always stick together. Turbo watched them with envy, and his frown stretched even further on his face. He didn't have a twin to be friends with. He just had himself.

Turbo picked out his cereal and reluctantly joined Ted and Teddy at the table. As he stared down at his uneaten cereal, he listened to Ted and Teddy as they blabbered about something that caught his attention as soon as the topic was brought up.

"Ted, do you know what today is?" Teddy asked him.

"No, I don't..." Ted's voice trailed off, and suddenly, a wide grin grew onto his face, "Oh, wait, it's Valentine's Day, isn't it?"

Teddy nodded excitedly, and Ted noticed his hands were behind his back.

"Teddy," Ted began, "What's behind your back?"

Teddy responded by removing his hands from behind his back, and in his hands, there was a box of chocolates, shaped like a heart, in a blue color, wrapped in a white bow.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Ted!" Teddy watched as Ted's smile grew even wider, and he quickly grabbed the gift with no hesitation.

"Thank you, Teddy, you're the best!" Ted thanked him before wrapping his arms around Teddy's neck. As Turbo watched the scene before him, he felt the familiar heartache he had felt earlier with a sharp pang of jealousy. Suddenly, he felt tears prick the corners of his eyes, and before a tear could fall, he quickly blinked, and the unshed tears in his eyes were gone.

"Shouldn't you guys be getting ready by now?" Turbo reminded them, not wanting to see the scene any longer, "The arcade opens in less than an hour."

"Oh, you're right, Turbo!" Ted and Teddy glanced at each other, before continuing, "But we have to take care of something first!"

And with that being said, Ted and Teddy rushed upstairs, leaving Turbo alone in the kitchen.

Shortly after Ted and Teddy had left, Turbo left the table, and the uneaten cereal, heading outside. He didn't bother putting a coat on, so he only wore his normal attire, that consisted of his red and white jumpsuit, and his helmet, which had a large red "T" on it. Outside, the air was chilly, since it was February, but Turbo didn't mind, after all, he was feeling pretty cold inside already. He walked past the racing track, and Ted, Teddy, and Turbo's karts were parked nearby. Turbo, frustrated, kicked his kart with one foot, but he knew it wasn't a smart choice as he winced, pain shooting up his leg. He walked further and exited his game, deciding to take a short walk before the arcade opened.

As soon as he stepped out of his game and into Game Central Station, he saw a couple a few feet away. The man had just given the woman a bouquet of flowers, which caused the woman's eyes to widen in surprise, before she smiled and stared at him lovingly. Turbo stuck his tongue out slightly in disgust and narrowed his eyes as he slowly walked past them, staying away from anyone he saw, preferring not be noticed. He felt out of place, he was practically the only one in Game Central Station who wasn't with a lover. After a while, he noticed that Game Central Station was becoming emptier by the minute; everyone was heading back to his or her own game. He decided that it was time to head back to TurboTime, knowing that as soon as the arcade opened, it would be one of the games that would be played first.

...

When Turbo arrived back at his game, Ted and Teddy were already outside, lounging around near the track by their karts, Ted eating his chocolates that Teddy had given him earlier that morning. They seemed lost in their conversation, because when he walked past them, they didn't even glance at him. Turbo didn't say a word; instead, he just got into his kart and buckled himself in. He started the engine, gripped the steering wheel with his hands, and placed a foot on the gas pedal, before driving towards the starting line, awaiting the player soon to be at his game, trying his best to ignore the empty feeling inside of him as Ted and Teddy joined him at the starting line.

A few moments later, the arcade opened, and children burst through the doors. It wasn't long before a young boy appeared in front of the screen of TurboTime, and he inserted his quarters.

Everything was going smooth at first, but after the race had began, the boy noticed that Turbo wasn't moving correctly. When he moved the steering wheel to the right, Turbo wouldn't respond by driving to the right. Instead, he would just keep driving straight forward, sometimes getting off of the track. This confused the boy, and he was astonished as the two NPCs of the game, Ted and Teddy, zipped past him, and crossed the finish line. The NPCs never, ever won. Turbo was the champion, he was always the winner. But surprisingly, this time, he wasn't. He had gotten in 3rd place. The boy squinted at the screen as he stared at Turbo, who was on the platform in third place, with the other NPCs, one of which was holding a golden trophy that had "#1" engraved into it. Turbo's face was stretched into a frown, and his eyes were lowered. He seemed upset. It wasn't long before he called Mr. Litwak over, and told him what had happened.

After the boy had told him, Mr. Litwak simply answered, "All games don't work correctly every once in a while. I'm sure that it was just a minor bug."

The boy agreed and left, in search for another game to play. Little did he know that the game didn't have a minor bug at all, and that it was something much deeper than he would have thought.

Back in TurboTime, Turbo stepped off of the platform, cursing himself for not cooperating during the race, and that he should be more careful, or else he could risk getting his game unplugged.

"What was that all about, Turbo?" Ted called from behind him.

"What was what all about?" Turbo demanded, crossing his arms.

"You lost the race, Turbo! And we won. Isn't that a little... well, odd? You always win, and we always lose. I mean, really, Turbo. Teddy won this race!" Ted replied, gesturing to Teddy, who was still at the top of the platform, admiring the trophy he had won.

"I can see that," Turbo huffed in annoyance. He was not in the mood to talk to Ted, especially about why he was behaving like this today. He, being stubborn, chose to ignore him despite his calls and headed toward his kart, climbed in, and approached the starting line once more without another word.

For the rest of the day, when others played TurboTime, they could also sense that something was terribly wrong. Many of them left, and didn't even finish playing the game, annoyed. Many of them also called Mr. Litwak over, and he just told them that, "All games don't work correctly every once in a while. I'm sure that it was just a minor bug."

When the arcade finally closed, in TurboTime, Turbo had just stepped off of the platform again, having just placing 3rd, not knowing how many times he had; he had lost count. His head was lowered, his eyes glaring at the floor, his hands curled into fists at his sides. He was making his way toward his, Ted, and Teddy's house, when he was suddenly stopped when Ted placed a hand on his shoulder. He quickly turned around and viciously swatted away his hand.

"What do you want, now?!" Turbo hissed at him between clenched teeth.

"Turbo, what's wrong?" Ted asked, not even flinching at Turbo's harsh tone, which he was used to by now. Teddy joined Ted by his side, and they both looked at Turbo expectantly, waiting for him to answer.

"Nothing," Turbo finally replied, but didn't make eye contact with the twins, and he turned his head away, crossing his arms.

"Oh, really?" Ted questioned him, "Why did you keep losing the races, then? Why did you seem so...distracted, today, then?"

"None of your business, idiot." Turbo began walking away again, but Ted again placed a hand on his shoulder firmly, stopping him.

"Stop doing that!" Turbo told him angrily, trying to swat Ted's hand away again.

"No, not unless you tell me what is wrong," Ted kept his hand on his shoulder, awaiting an answer from him.

"Nothing is wrong!"

"Yes, something is definitely wrong!" Ted was beginning to grow impatient with Turbo.

"No!" Turbo objected, "Nothing is wrong, so just leave me alone already!" And with that, he escaped Ted's grip and ran towards their house.

"Turbo, wait!" Ted and Teddy called, before chasing after Turbo, desperate to know just what exactly was wrong with him.

...

When Turbo entered his house, he ran upstairs to his room, slamming the door shut. He limped over to his bed and climbed on top of it, burying his face in the pillows and blankets.

"Turbo?"

Turbo heard the sound of his door slowly creaking open, and the sound of footsteps approaching his bed. It was Ted and Teddy.

"Go away!" Turbo's voice was muffled due to the pillows and blankets.

"No, Turbo. We're not going away. You've been acting really weird today, and Teddy and I need to know what's wrong with you. We're not that stupid, Turbo. Please, just tell us what's wrong!" Ted pleaded.

Turbo finally reached his breaking point. He confessed to them what had been bothering him all day.

"I-It's Valentine's Day, and I have always hated Valentine's Day, because I'm always alone. I'm never happy, I'm never loved. I don't get a kiss, and I don't get chocolate, either. Ted and Teddy, you guys are never alone. You're best friends; you always have each other. Even if you fight, in the end, you always make up, and just like that, you two are happy again. You two are loved. I'm not loved. Nobody loves me!"

Ted wrapped his arms around Turbo, pulling him closer to him in an embrace, attempting to comfort him. Turbo didn't protest, and tried to gulp down the lump that was forming in his throat. His lower lip was quivering, which Turbo hadn't noticed, and neither did Ted, but Ted did feel Turbo's shoulders heave, and suddenly, a few moments later, a muffled sob escaped his throat.

"Turbo, don't cry..." Ted attempted to stop him, but it was too late. Tears were streaming down the anguished racer's face, and he bawled as he buried his head in Ted's neck, his body trembling.

"Turbo, listen," Ted began, "Why would you ever say that you're not loved?"

It took a while for Turbo to answer, and when he did, he cried, "B-Because... I mean, l-look at me! S-Seriously, why would anyone love someone like me?"

"I can think of many good reasons!" Ted told him, "For example, you're one of the best racers ever, no?"

"Y-You... really think so?" Turbo whispered, but didn't look up, knowing that if he did, Ted could see his face, which was stained with tears.

"Of course," Ted replied, assuring him. He placed one finger under Turbo's chin, lifting his head up so that he could see his face. Turbo's face turned red in embarrassment, and tried to duck his head back down, but Ted kept his finger under his chin, forcing his head to remain where it was. Turbo averted his gaze and wiped his tear-stained cheeks with the back of his sleeve, hoping that after he did so, the tears would be gone.

"So... to make my point clear, you are loved, Turbo. No one else may love you..." Ted began.

Turbo's heart sank at his last words, but Ted was not done speaking, so when Ted finished, Turbo's heart swelled, "...But we do."

Immediately, an enormous, toothy smile appeared on Turbo's face, flashing his yellow teeth.

"Wait... where's Teddy?" Turbo glanced around, noticing that Teddy was no longer in the room.

As if right on cue, Teddy walked into the room, a big grin plastered onto his face. His hands were behind his back, and he glanced at Ted. Ted winked at him.

"Uh... guys? What's going on?" Turbo questioned the twins, raising an eyebrow. He hoped it wasn't one if Teddy's usual pranks. To his uttermost surprise, it wasn't. When Teddy showed Turbo what was behind his back, he gasped, his eyes widening. He was holding a red, heart-shaped box full of chocolates, wrapped in a white bow. It was huge; even larger than Ted's.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Turbo!"

Turbo felt his eyes begin brimming with tears once more, but this time, they were tears of happiness. Tears of love. He really was loved after all. By Ted and Teddy. And he, too, after some long, hard, thinking, realized that he loved Ted and Teddy back just as much, but he preferred not to express it outwardly. Ted and Teddy knew that Turbo loved both of them back, despite him not expressing it clearly, due to his stubborn personality, and they always chuckled to themselves as Ted and Teddy also knew that Turbo didn't express his love outwardly because he was quite shy and embarrassed about it. And, they knew that somewhere deep inside of Turbo, past his usually cold, cruel and harsh personality, was his heart. Inside of that heart was a special place, a place where only Ted and Teddy were, and all of them were sure that they would remain there until the time that TurboTime was finally unplugged, and the three friends finally would be no more but a distant memory.


End file.
